Gas lighter head



March 23, 1965 J. cal-:Noun

GAS LIGHTER HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 9, 1962 March 23, 1965Filed NOV. 9, 1962 J@ GENOUD GAS LIGHTER HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent Office 3,174,310 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 3,174,310 GASLIGHTER HEAD Jean Genoud, 29 Rue Barreme, Lyon, France Filed Nov. 9,1962, Ser. No. 236,563 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 12,1961, Patent 1,307,899 3 Claims. (Cl. 67-7.1)

rlhis invention relates to the heads of gas lighters. Gas lighter headshave been generally constituted as a unit of a light metal alloy moldedunder pressure and subsequently machined so as to allow it to carry thedifferent parts to be incorporated within the lighter head. My inventionhas for an object the provision of a novel construction for a gaslighter head and it consists chieily in forming said head by means oftwo superposed parallel plates which are spaced with reference to eachother and are interconnected by at least two staying uprights so thatsaid head appears as a laterally open cage having access through itssides.

Said arrangement simplifies the iitting of the dilerent parts to becarried by the head and it allows chiefly positioning in the free spaceextending between said two plates, the means for adjusting the height ofthe lighter llame, said adjusting means being thus readily accessibleand operable through a lateral engagement thereof between the usersthumb and foretinger.

The spindle of the knurled wheel and its driving means may furthermorecooperate advantageously in the assembly of the two plates.

Said improved head is applicable to any type of lighter but it is moreparticularly suitable, although not in an exclusive manner, to the caseof lighters using disposable reiiils which are adapted for being madeoperative by the perforation or bursting of a covering diaphragm.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawing given solely by Way of example and wherein two embodiments areillustrated.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational View in cross-section of the assembled lighteraccording to the invention, the valve being shown in its closedposition,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a lateral elevational view of the lighter in FIG. 1.

FG. 4 is a View similar to FIG. l of a second embodiment according tothe invention wherein the valve is shown in its open position.

According to the invention, the lighter head is constituted by twoplates 1 and 2, the plate 1 being cast integral with uprights 3 and 4,which are secured by screws 5 to the plate 2. The upright 4 connects theplates 1, 2 together in a peripheral zone while the upright 5 is aninterior upright and connects the plates 1 and 2 together in an interiorzone.

The burner tube 6 is tted transversely in the plate 1 and its inner endopens in registry with a port provided in a small ring 7 iittedcoaxially in said plate.

The upper end of the valve 8 is free to slide inside said ring. Saidvalve includes a packing 9 and it is urged upwardly by a weak spring1li. The seat 11 of said valve is formed in a member 12 screwed inside ashouldered sleeve 13 secured by a weld seam to the plate 2.

The throttling of the gases is obtained by a small plate carrying a stud14 and held between two small disks 15 made of a porous material.

A uid tight relation is obtained between the sleeve 13 and the member 12inside which it is screwed by means ot toroidal shaped packing 16. Themember 12 is formed at its upper end above the sleeve 13 as a knurledknob 17.

By turning said knurled knob 17 the pressure exerted on the small disks15 is varied and, thereby the oW of gas, and consequently the height ofthe llame, are also varied.

It will be readily understood that such an adjustment is Very easilyperformed. It is suthcient, as a matter of fact, when it is desired toreach said knurled knob, to remove or merely disengage slightly thecasing 18 which is itted around the upper plate 1 and surrounds the gascontainer 19.

Said container 19 carries aconventional tapped member 21 closed by adiaphragm 22. VThe sleeve 13 extends downwardly to form a threadednozzle 23 provided with a punch 24 having a polygonal outline.

When the nozzle 23 is screwed into the member 21, the punch pierces thedisk 22, which opens a passage for the escape gas from the containertowards the lighter head.

In the embodiment in FIG. 1, the sleeve 13, including its nozzle 23, ismade of plastic material and the thread connecting the nozzle 22 withthe member 21 is conical, which allows obtaining tiuidtightness betweenthe .assembled parts without requiring the insertion of auxiliarypacking.

The member 12 with its seat 11 and its knurled adjusting knob 17 mayalso be made of plastic material.

Lastly, the opening of the valve S is performed by allowing said valveto -rise under the action of the spring 1@ associated with ,the thrustexerted by the gas. The release of the valve is obtained by raising asmall Vlever 25 adapted to pivot about a screw 26 which secures saidlever Ato the plate 1. Said lever 25 normally bears against the valve 8under the action of a Spring 20. The opening of the valve is obtained bydepressing a key 27. A weak spring 2S is inserted between the lever 25and the head of the key 27 so as to ensure the return of the key intoits nor-mal position.

The two plates 1 and 2, furthermore, support a spindle 29 rigid with theknurled knob 30 and with its actuator int wheel 31. The flint 40 isurged against the knob 30 by spring 41 in a conventional manner as shownfor eX- ample in U.S. Patents 2,608,081 and 2,724,253.

T o operate the lighter, the key 27 is depressed while simultaneouslythe int wheel is actuated. The operation may be carried out by usingboth hands but generally one hand will be used, the lighter being heldin the palm of such hand while the index finger depresses key 27 and thethumb actuates flint wheel 31.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the uprights 3 and 4 are notcast integrally with the plate 1, but are Secured thereto for instanceby brazing or welding.

In the embodiment in FIG. 4, the burner 6 extends through an elongatedport 33 formed in the upright 3 and is rigid with the valve 8, so as toaccompany the upward and downward movements of the latter.

The movement of said valve is furthermore opposite to that provided inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. l, the closing of the valve beingensured by a spring 34 fitted under a cap 35 screwed over the member 12While the opening is obtained through a pivoting of a lever 36controlled by the key 27 and bearing permanently against the stationaryllange of said cap 35 while its end engages the movable member 37securing the burner 6 to the valve 8, the spring 20 ensuring merely thereturn of the key 27 to its normal position.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the thread securing thethreaded nozzle 23 inside the well 21 is cylindrical, fluid tightnessbeing ensured by toroidal shaped packing 38.

Obviously and as disclosed hereinabove, the invention is not limited tothe embodiments described hereinabove and given solely by way ofexamples and it covers in con- 3 tradistinction, all the modications ofsaid embodiments falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a lighter, the combinationof a burner, gasthrottling means forfeeding gas to said burner, a laterally open lighter head carrying saidburner, a casing, said burner displaceably resting on said casing andincluding two parallel spaced superposed plates and at least two stayinguprights holding said plates in position, and means including a knurledWheel controlling said throttling means and thereby the length of theame formed by the burner, said wheel being located centrally of thelaterally open lighter head to be engaged between an operators fingerswith the head displaced from the casing to expose the knurled wheel. Y

2. In a lighter, the combination of a burner, gasthrottling means forfeeding gas to said burner, a laterally open lighter head carrying saidburner, a casing, said burner displaceably resting on said casing andincluding two parallel spaced superposed plates and at least two stayinguprights holding said plates in position, and integral with at least oneof the plates, a Hint-controlling knob, a spindle for said knob heldbetween the two plates `of the lighter head and means including aknurled wheel -controlling said throttling means and thereby the lengthof the llame formed by the burner, said wheel being located centrally ofthe laterally open lighter head to be engaged between an operatorsfingers with the head displaced from the casing to expose the knurledwheel.

3. In a gas lighter: ka casing and a head assembly displaceablysupported on the casing, said head assembly comprising two parallelspaced superposed plates, two spaced uprights connecting said platestogether and dening an open head assembly, a sleeve supported in saidhead assembly between the uprights, a burner tube extending laterally inthe head assembly through'one of the uprights, aV control memberthreadably supported in said sleeve, valve means operatively associatedwith the burner tube and slidably supported within the control memberfor movement between open and closed positions for controlling thepassage of gas to the burner tube from a source of gas in the lighter,resilient means coupled to the valve means to normally urge the same toclosed position, means supported in the head assembly in associationwith the valve means for opening the same, said control member includinga knob positioned between the uprights and adapted for being turned tothereby adjust the position of the control member in the sleeve, andmeans supported within the sleeve for being acted upon by the control'member for adjustably throttling the ow of gas to the burner tube, incorrespondence with the position of the control member in the sleeve,the control member being externally accessible upon suicient relativedisplacement between the casing and head assembly to expose the COntrolmember.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,608,081 8/52Morgan et al. 6'7-7.l

2,724,253 11/55 Morgan 67-'7.l

2,892,251 6/59 Felt 67-7.1

3,092,988 6/ 63 Meyers 67-7.l

FOREIGN PATENTS 204,311 7/59 Austria. 1,036,482 4/ 53 France. 1,127,4728/ 5 6 France. 1,204,683 8/59 France. 1,23 8,432 7/ 60 France.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

1. IN A LIGHTER, THE COMBINATION OF A BURNER, GASTHROTTLING MEANS FORFEEDING GAS TO BURNER, A LATERALLY OPEN LIGHTER HEAD CARRYING SAIDBURNER, A CASING, SAID BURNER DISPLACEABLY RESTING ON SAID CASING ANDINCLUDING TWO PARALLEL SPACED SUPERPOSED PLATES AND AT LEAST TWO STAYINGUPRIGHTS HOLDINGS SAID PLATES IN POSITION, AND MEANS INCLUDING A KNURLEDWHEEL CONTROLLING SAID THROTTLING MEANS AND THEREBY THE LENGTH OF THEFLAME FORMED BY THE BURNER, SAID WHEEL BEING LOCATED CENTRALLY OF THELATERALLY OPEN LIGHTER HEAD TO BE ENGAGED BETWEEN AN OPERATOR''S FINGERSWITH THE HEAD DISPLACED FROM THE CASING TO EXPOSE THE KNURLED WHEEL.